


Independence Day

by providing_leverage



Series: Life's a Dance [1]
Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Amaya and Janai were in the military, F/F, Harrow is a vet, No one has a last name so I make stuff up, Sarai is Alive, i might make this into a series, it's not mentioned but Amaya's last name is totally General, the kids are younger
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2020-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:01:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22781410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/providing_leverage/pseuds/providing_leverage
Summary: The drive from Washington DC to the Katolis' ranch in Missouri was almost fifteen hours. The two of them could have made it, running on a lot of coffee and the combination of their stubbornness, but they'd agreed it was safer to stop after seven hours the first day.Or: Amaya brings her girlfriend down to meet her family on the Fourth of July. Fluff, shovel talks, and foreshadowing ensues
Relationships: Amaya/Janai (The Dragon Prince), Harrow/Sarai (The Dragon Prince)
Series: Life's a Dance [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1647133
Comments: 6
Kudos: 58





	Independence Day

**Author's Note:**

> This is for my beloved Rem, who got me into the Dragon Prince. I know this isn't the AU we were talking about, but it's what I wrote. Whoops and consider this my late Valentine's day gift to you.

"Turn right in three hundred feet, then take MM." Says GPS lady, in her annoying and overly chipper voice, for the third time.

Honestly, Janai was very, very close to tossing the thing out the window and relying on the map in her gloves compartment and Amaya's directions. 

Then she glances at her girlfriend sleeping peacefully in the passenger seat, and resigns herself to the horrid auto set voice for the next hour. Honestly, she should just pull over and find the settings. Surly there was some other option that didn't grate on her nerves so much.

Drumming her fingers on the steering wheel, Janai flips through all the radio stations. But here, in the middle of the boring Indiana wilds, there's very few options. Most of them are country music, which is worse than no music. 

Eventually she shuts off the radio all together and resigns herself to a few more hours with only the yellow fields around her and Amaya's adorable snores. 

Not the worse background noise.

"Continue straight for three miles."

_ "Damn it." _

÷÷÷

The drive from Washington DC to the Katolis' ranch in Missouri was almost fifteen hours. The two of them could have made it, running on a lot of coffee and the combination of their stubbornness, but they'd agreed it was safer to stop after seven hours the first day.

Because of this wise break, Janai's Jeep pulls through the gates of Sarai and Harrow's ranch a little past three o'clock on the Fourth of July, instead of on the third like they'd wanted. 

The land belonging to Amaya's family is mostly fields, from what Janai can see, but with clumps of green trees mixed in. The two story wood and stone country house is ringed by a wrap around porch and honest to God trimmed hedges and flowers. Because that was an actual thing.

Amaya signals to just park behind the three vehicles already in front of the house. 

_ How are you feeling?  _ She signs, meeting Janai's eyes. 

"Okay." Janai says, clumsily signing the words, even though Amaya is looking right at her lips. "Kind of nervous."

_ That's understandable. _ Amaya hesitates.  _ Thank you again for doing this. I know that meeting the family is a big thing, and we've only been dating a few weeks, and I move kind of fast sometimes- _

Janai doesn't mean to reach out and grab her girlfriend's hands. She knows it's really rude, but can't help it. "Hush. You are perfect and I'm excited to meet your sister and her family." She raises Amaya's hands to her lips, kissing her knuckles before releasing them. "Let's do this."

As soon as Janai steps out into the gravel drive, she's nearly knocked over by a dog. It weaves around her legs, jumping up to put it's paws on her chest to lick her face. Not aggressively, more playful. Janai realizes this and tamps down on her instinct to shove the creature away forcefully.

"Zim! Zim, get down. Bad puppy." A hand closes around the collar the dog is wearing and pulls it off her. "Sorry about him, he's always very excited to meet new people."

The woman smiling at Janai looks so much like Amaya that she can only be Sarai. This is confirmed a second later when she says, "Hello, I'm Sarai. You must be Janai. My sister has told me so much about you, I've really been looking forward to finally meeting."

"It is...nice to meet you as well." Janai offers a hand, gasping a bit in surprise when the other woman ops instead to pull her into a crushing embrace. "Oh, um, that's okay too, I guess."

A loud clap makes Sarai pull away and turn to look at Amaya, who's come around to their side of the car. Her girlfriend launches into a flurry of sign language too swift for Janai to follow. But Sarai must manage, because she laughs and responds in kind. Eventually Amaya rolls her eyes and pulls her older sister into a hug.

"Are you auntie Amaya's new girlfriend?" A voice asks from far below. Janai looks down, then down further, to find questioning blue eyes peering up from a pile of dark curls. She recognizes him from Amaya's phone background as Ezran, the youngest of Sarai's kids.

"I am." She confirms. "How did you get jelly in your hair?"

The seven year old ignores the question. "Wow, you have a cool accent. Where are you from? Your eyes are very shiny and gold. It looks very nice. Mom, can I have shiny eye makeup too?"

Sarai laughs at her son, grinning, one arm slung around Amaya. "Maybe later kiddo."

"Sarai, what are you doing?" A voice hollars from the front porch. "Bring your sister and her girlfriend in here before they get heat stroke. It's a hundred degrees!"

"Coming dear," Sarai yells back before lowering her voice. "My husband is a bit of a worrier. Comes from a long line of doctors. Broke the tradition by becoming a vet, but kept the paranoia about the smallest of things."

Little Ezran nods solemnly in agreement. "He won't even let me ride my bike without  _ all  _ the pads and my helmet. And it's all really uncomfortable!"

Because it  _ is  _ insanely hot outside they collect their bags and make their way into the house.

Directly through the front door is a little mud room where they kick off their shoes. Through another door is the kitchen.

It looks like something out of a magazine, all the matching wood cabinets and the flowers in a vase on the table. At the bar a dark haired boy, older than Ezran but not quite a teenager she doesn't think, is hunched over a sketch book, oblivious to the world around him.

That is, until Amaya goes up behind him and pulls the ear bud from one ear. He looks up, startled. When he sees Amaya, the expression morphs into one of joy. "Aunt Amaya, you're finally here." The two of them hug.

"And you must be the famous Janai." Harrow sets down the knife he'd been using to cut peppers and comes around the counter to greet her. Janai braces for another hug, but he puts out a hand to shake. Janai takes it gratefully.

"I would hardly describe myself as famous, but I am Janai." She says, "Thank you for having me."

Harrow laughs as if this is funny somehow. "I love your accent."

The other kid is introduced as Callum, who smiles shyly as her. Somehow they all find themselves clustered around the kitchen table with cold glasses of homemade lemonade. The kids take turns asking Amaya and Janai questions in a mixture of spoken words and sign language. 

Despite the noise and movement around her, Janai's eyes feel heavy. After her third badly concealed yawn, Amaya points at her.  _ You need to sleep. You drove most of today and I don't want you to fall asleep at the party. _

Sarai stands up. "And I should show you to your room so you can get settled. I don't want you to have to unpack when we get back late tonight. No, I got your bags." She snatches the duffle from Amaya and signs  _ stay here, I can show your girlfriend to your normal room. _

Amaya nods, letting the bag go. She looks at Janai and motions  _ go, sleep. I will see you later darling. _

Instead of saying anything, Janai nods and leans over to give her girlfriend a parting kiss, much to the horror of Ezran who shouts "Gross! Kissing is icky."

Sarai laughs and ruffles her kid's hair before leading Janai further into the house. They go through a living room, up a staircase, and down a short hallway before stopping at a seemingly random door.

"This is the room Amaya chose as 'hers' when we first moved in here. Me and Harrows room, is downstairs, and the boys are on the other side of this floor. So you shouldn't have any problems with privacy," she winks at Janai. 

"...Right."

The room is an odd mix of guest room and bedroom that belongs to someone. There are a few personal touches (books on the shelf, the closet door thrown open to reveal some clothes hanging in it) but it's clean in a way that signals it's not often used, not just belongs to a neat freak.

Despite her exhaustion, Janai unpacks both of their things. Despite their plans to stay for a week, plus the two days it took to get here and the two days it will take to get back, they managed to fit everything they needed into a small suitcase and two duffle bags. 

Once that's done she removes her makeup in the small ensuite bathroom and collapses into bed still dressed in her jeans and red tank top. The perfect combination of the air conditioning from the vents and the warm sunlight coming through the window lulls her to sleep in no time.

÷÷÷

Sleeping during the day is one of the most disorienting things ever. Doing it in a foreign place is even weirder. So when the alarm she'd set on her phone goes off at five thirty, it makes Janai a moment to remember where she is.

After splashing some cold water on her face, brushing her teeth (because her mouth always tastes weird after sleeping), reapplying her gold eyeshadow and pulling her hair back into a ponytail Janai wonders back downstairs. 

She finds Sarai in the kitchen, holding a spoon and a bowl of some yellow stuff. The other woman spots her as Janai walks in and smiles.

"Did you have a good nap?"

"Yes. The bed was very comfortable." Janai squints at the yellow stuff. "What is that?"

"Have you never had deviled eggs?" When Janai shakes her head, she's offered what looks to be a boiled egg shell filled with the yellow paste stuff. 

She takes a tentative bite and gags. "That is one of the worst things I've ever eaten. And I lived on military food for several years."

Janai is half expecting Sarai to be offended, but she just laughs. "Eh, they're not everyone's favorite. Me and Amaya could eat them by the carton, and Harrow doesn't mind them. The kids hate them though."

"Speaking of, where is everyone else?"

Sarai continues to scoop egg paste into the shells. "They walked over to the Lord's place to help set up the fireworks. The two of us are gonna drive down there with all of the food in a bit."

"I thought the thing was in town? And can I help you with anything?"

"Nah, the town had one last week in the park but it's always really small. But the neighbors and our friends always have a cookout and potluck before setting off our own fireworks on the actual Fourth." Saria hands her the spoon. "And if you could finish filling these eggs while I check on the chilli, that would be great."

Janai has never been the most social person, preferring to speak only when spoken to or when necessary, but it's surprisingly easy to fall into conversation with Sarai. It's like being with Amaya, but more loud laughter. They have the same sharp mind and strange sense of humor. Not to mention their penchant for dirty jokes.

"So, tell me more about yourself. It seems since you two met, all of Amaya's texts and letters are about you in some way, but it's mostly 'oh she's so cute when she's grumpy' and 'you would not believe how much Janai can bench press'. You were military too?"

"Yes. I did the program where I went to college then did my tours. After I came back from my third, I went back and finished law school."

"Three tours huh? That's a lot." Sarai adjusts the crock pot temperature. "I remember when Amaya enlisted in the military, just out of high school. I was so terrified.

"And when I got the call about the explosion, it was all my worst nightmares come true. My baby sister, hurt. I imagined the worst. Death, or limbs lost. That it was just her hearing…maybe I should feel bad about this, but deep down I was relieved. Amaya would never again see action."

Sarai looks up at Janai, her face serious. In this moment it's easiest to see the similarities between her and her sister. "I'll be honest with you, because I like you and I know my sister does too. A lot. Since that single tour of duty, Amaya has not dated a lot. Some people are scared off by the military background, or the job at the Pentagon, or leave because the deafness weirds them out. And I've never seen her as head over heels so fast for anyone before you.

"The point is, I might not have gone into the military but I know there forms of martial arts and have several acres of land where a body could easily be hidden."

Janai doesn't mean to laugh. Her girlfriend's sister has just threatened her life if she hurt Amaya. This was not the time to laugh. But she can't help it.

"Trust me, hurting Amaya is the last thing I want. We might not have been dating for a very long time, but I already adore her and feel more for her than my last several partners combined." Janai sets down the spoon, meeting Sarai's eyes evenly. "And if I do ever hurt Amaya, I welcome you to hurt me back as you see fit."

This time it's Sarai who laughs. "Oh wow, my sister has certainly found herself a keeper. Tell me more about how you two met?"

The abrupt shift in tone might be more shocking if Amaya didn't often do the same thing. Janai and Sarai continue on their casual conversation from before. Janai talks about meeting Amaya at a gathering for military vets, and her lawyer job at a firm in DC. 

In turn, Sarai tells stories about her kids and the trouble she and her sister got into when they were younger. Janai is also promised baby pictures later in the week.

Around six they start to pack up all the food. 

"Could you bring these out to the pickup? I've got to put up the animals before we leave, since the Lord's place is less than a mile down the road and we don't want them to get spooked by the fireworks." 

Janai nods and picks up the container with the aptly named devils eggs. "Is it unlocked?"

"No, but the keys are hanging on the third hook from the door in the mud room. Thanks,"

Once the food is secured so that it won't slide around in the back seat, Sarai pulls out of her driveway in a masterful and practiced feat of backing up and somehow not hitting and of the trees or scattered toys in the surrounding area.

The drive is short and bumpy, and soon they're pulling into a drive that looks very similar to the Katolis' place. The house is half the size, and there's no barn, but there's still plenty of space. The two women take their food and walk around the back of the house. Janai is surprised by the amount of people here.

People splash around in the pool, a volleyball net has been set up in the corner, next to a basketball goal. There's three tables set up and already overflowing with food, one of which is entirely devoted to deserts.

The house and what would be considered the yard is set on the top of a hill. At the foot of the slope is a pond. Janai has no other ponds to reference it to is terms of size, but she'd say it's probably medium sized. Sarai had said the fireworks would be on the other side of it with the blankets and chairs where they'd watch would be closer to the house. Just in case.

As if they need anymore food, there's also a grill up and running, with Harrow behind it. He's wearing an apron that says Kiss The Chef and talking to a brown haired man.

Sarai grabs her hand and drags Janai over to the grill. "Janai, this is our host for the night and the town's mayor, Viren Lord. Viren, this is Amaya's girlfriend Janai."

Viren smiles at her in a way that isn't a lower, but still makes her skin prickle. Something about him seems sleezy, though Janai can't put her finger on what it is exactly. She just knows that she is not a big fan of Viren Lord, no matter how friendly he is with Harrow.

After a few minutes of conversation, Janai claims she's thirsty and escapes to food tables. There's four coolers packed with drinks for her to choose from. Janai goes with a coca cola.

The temperature has thankfully gone down quite a bit as the sun slowly sank into the hills, but it's still muggy and horrible. 

Janai wonders around uncertainty for a minute, looking for her girlfriend or a familiar face. She eventually finds Ezran in the spread of blankets and lawn chairs set up to watch the fireworks. He's happily digging into a plate piled full of jelly tarts.

"Is this seat taken?" She nods to the chair next to him. 

He shakes his head no. She sits. He looks at her, then at his plate, then back at her. Eventually Ezran asks, "Are you our new auntie? Because I asked Auntie Amaya but she said she wasn't sure if you'd be okay with that. Well, she didn't say it with her words because her words don't work anymore. But she said with her hands. So can I call you Auntie Janai?"

Oh shit. Janai has never been a cryer and she isn't about to start. But this seven year old looking earnestly up at her, looking like he's kind of afraid she'll say no, well. It's a challenge.

"I would be okay with that."  _ Quick, deflect.  _ "You like animals, right? How many do you have?"

Ezran beams like Christmas has come early, maybe because of the aunt thing, or maybe because he's been asked about his pets. He launches into a run through of all their animals, their names, and their backstories.

Their three dogs, including Zim, who she'd met when she'd first arrived. His full name was Azymondias, and he was the only one of his litter that they'd kept. His mom was named Zubeia. Ezran's grin fades a bit when he talks about Zim's dad who had gotten bit by a snake and had to be put down by Harrow before Zim was even born.

He picks up again when he talks about his pit bull, Bait. Besides the dogs, they also owned eleven horses, a single milk cow, a number of chickens, a few barn cats, and a black and green bird named Pip.

While Ezran is describing Pip and the way his feathers stick up, Callum comes over and flops down on the blanket at their feet.

"What's the matter with you?" His brother asks.

"Stupid Soren tried to shoot me with his water gun and got my sketchbook wet." Callum grips said book closer to his chest and peers around like this soren person might be waiting to ambush him.

"That's okay, Auntie Janai will protect you. She's big and strong, as strong as Auntie Amaya."

Callum gives her a look like he seriously doubts this fact but also doesn't really want to test it.

Eventually Amaya shows up, in her bikini because she's actually trying to kill Janai. She also knows what she's doing, because she smirks at Janai when she notices the glances. 

_ You should have brought your suit, the water felt great _ , she signs.

_ You know how much I hate the water. _

As the sun sinks further, they pile paper plates full of various foods. Hamburgers and hot dogs, chilli, chips and dip, fried chicken, sliced fruit and vegetables, summer sausage with cheese and crackers, and dried jerky are just some of the offered foods.

Sarai and Harrow join them to eat dinner, and show Janai where the cooler with the alcohol is stored.

Unfortunately Verin sits next to their little camp, and is joined by his two children. Claudia is in a black swimsuit and Callum turns so red when she sits down next to him that Janai thinks he might soon turn into a strawberry.

Soren flops down on the blanket Amaya (now wearing a swimsuit pullover) and Janai had claimed for themselves. He's wearing ridiculous American flag swim trunks and his blonde hair, long on the top but shaved on the sides, is sticking straight up. Both kids are definitely goofy but odly loveable, with none of their father's creepy vibes. 

Janai's dislike of the guy only grows when she goes into the house to use the bathroom and spots the collection of dead bugs pinned up. Not just butterflies but other things too. And the taxidermied animals everywhere are just... awful.

She gets out of there as soon as humanly possible and secretly gives Soren the last brownie that she'd grabbed but hadn't eaten yet. He hadn't gotten one and was upset about it. Viren had told him in a low voice to get over it, not realizing that Janai was within earshot. His grin makes her heart melt.

Janai is introduced to several other people, but none of them stay around to chat for long, much to her relief. At eight thirty Sarai produces sparklers and all the kids run around with them for a bit, laughing and having the time of their lives. 

Callum at first insists that he's too old for sparklers, but joins in when Claudia offers him one. soren tries to initiate a sword fight between them with the sparklers that Harrow thankfully breaks up before it can really begin. 

At nine on the dot, Viren stands on a step ladder and addresses them all, thanking them for coming and complimenting all the people who'd brought food. 

"And to all of you, I hope you've had a wonderful Fourth of July. Now let's get this party started properly!" They all cheer as he uses a large flashlight to signal the people on the other side of the lake and the first fireworks shoot into the air.

Janai slings an arm around Amaya and pulls her girlfriend closer. They snuggle up together, stomachs full of good food, not entirely sober, and surrounded by Amaya's family and people who Janai already adored. People Janai was looking forward to getting to know better. 

Knowing Amaya couldn't hear her, Janai turns her face into Amaya's hair and whispers "I love you."

And in the multicolored light of the explosions overhead, Janai begins to believe that one day soon she'll be able to make the words with her hands where Amaya can see them. 

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in seven hours (not counting the many breaks I took) and it's late so I'll go back and edit it tomorrow. Sorry if it's trash, feel free to point out any errors in spelling or plot and I'll fix them. Also tell me what you think!
> 
> (Fun fact, I spelled Soren's name Sorren the whole time I was writing this and only realized it when I was tagging him)


End file.
